Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1969, Duncan Sheik grew up in South Carolina but spent many of his early years staying with his grandparents in New Jersey. Inspired to play the piano while there, he later switched to electric guitar and performed in bands throughout high school. A fan of musical theater from a young age, he also acted in school plays and attended the occasional Broadway show with his mother. While studying at Brown University, he played in a band with Lisa Loeb but began shopping his own demo tape soon after graduation. After moving to Los Angeles, he appeared with His Boy Elroy on a 1993 album for Epic, and spent several years writing songs before he signed a solo deal with Atlantic.
Atlantic released his debut album, the Rupert Hine-produced Duncan Sheik, in mid-1996, with the single "Barely Breathing" following later in the year. The song reached number 16 on the Hot 100, and after another single, "Reasons for Living," appeared on the soundtrack to the hit TV show ER in late 1996, the debut peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200. Also produced with Hine, the follow-up, Humming, arrived on Atlantic in 1998 and reached number 163.
Nonesuch issued 2001's self-produced Phantom Moon, a more orchestral collaboration between Sheik and poet/playwright/lyricist Steven Sater, who provided its lyrics. It featured appearances by the London Session Orchestra and guitarist Bill Frisell. Though it failed to reach the Billboard 200, Sheik returned to the chart with his fourth album, 2002's Daylight, which reached number 110. It would be his final release with Atlantic. In 2002, Sheik also composed music for a New York Shakespeare Festival's production of Twelfth Night.
Continuing to split his focus between songwriting and composition, Sheik wrote the film score for the 2004 romantic drama A Home at the End of the World as well as music for the 2005 documentary Through the Fire. He offered up his fifth studio LP, While Limousine, on the Zoë label in 2006. Its insightful lyrics didn't shy away from sociopolitical territory. In the meantime, he had collaborated with Sater on a rock musical based on the 19th century German play Spring Awakening, a story concerned with teenaged sexuality. With a book and lyrics by Sater and music by Sheik, Spring Awakening opened off-Broadway in May 2006 before moving to Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre in December of that year. The show ran for over two years and took home eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. The Decca-issued cast album won a Grammy for Sheik and Sater.
Sheik composed the scores for projects including the Mary Stuart Masterson-directed film The Cake Eaters (2007) and the animated TV movie Little Spirit: Christmas in New York (2008) before presenting his next pop album, 2009's Whisper House. Featuring several duets with Holly Brook (Skylar Grey), the RCA Victor release spent a week at the number 181 spot on the Billboard 200. He scored the movie dramas Dare (2009) and Harvest (2010), then returned in 2011 with the covers album Covers 80s, which included backing vocals by Rachael Yamagata and Brook. Covers 80s Remixed appeared in 2012.
Next up for Sheik was a musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho featuring a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and music, lyrics, and orchestrations all by Sheik. It opened in London in 2013. He released another solo album, a song cycle titled Legerdemain (2015), and premiered the musical thriller Noir (2015) at Vassar College before American Psycho had its Broadway premiere in March 2016. The original London cast recording arrived on Concord Records the same month. Based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, another Sheik-Sater musical collaboration, Alice by Heart, opened off-Broadway in early 2019. The original cast recording was released by Ghostlight later in the year. 2019 also saw the off-Broadway opening of the musical The Secret Life of Bees, featuring music by Sheik and lyrics by Tony nominee Susan Birkenhead (Working, Jelly's Last Jam).
His first concert album, Live at the Cafe Carlyle, followed on Sneaky Studios/Missing Piece in late 2020. Compiled from a week of shows in October 2017, its set list spanned "Barely Breathing," songs from Spring Awakening, and previously unreleased covers of Radiohead and Tom Petty. An HBO documentary about the 15th anniversary concert of the hit musical, Spring Awakening: Those You've Known, premiered in May 2022 and was followed in June by Claptrap, Sheik's first solo studio album in seven years. It arrived on the New York-based Antifragile Music label.
Biography by Marcy Donelson
Chimera
Duncan Sheik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chased by storms
Always safe
Rush out of bed
Tornado is dead
In its wake, sunlight
The land in uproot
Taken down south
To a hurricane town
Fallen down bombs
Wishing for snowbound home
Robbed by time
The shadows of birds
Fortunes won and lost
And still, I'm wandering
Wandering
Wandering
The lyrics to Duncan Sheik's song "Chimera" tell a story of a Scorpio boy who has always been followed by chaos and storms. However, despite this turmoil, he has always managed to stay safe. The first two lines of the song set the scene for the rest of the story, describing the turbulent life of the singer. However, the next few lines provide a glimmer of hope with the wake of the storm and the arrival of sunlight. But this hope is short-lived, as the land is uprooted and the Scorpio boy is taken down south to a hurricane town where bombs have fallen. He longs for the comfort of his home, now lost in the chaos.
The final lines of the song describe the state of the Scorpio boy's life. He has been robbed by time, and the shadows of birds haunt him. He has won and lost fortunes, but he is still wandering, trying to find a sense of peace and stability. The song is a powerful commentary on the chaos and unpredictability of life and the desire for a sense of belonging and stability. It is a deeply reflective and introspective piece that invites the listener to consider their own search for peace amidst the storm of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Born Scorpio boy
I was born as a Scorpio and that defines a part of who I am.
Chased by storms
My life has been tumultuous, difficult, and full of challenges that I had to overcome.
Always safe
Despite facing many storms, I have always managed to find safety and security.
Rush out of bed
I wake up quickly and with purpose.
Tornado is dead
The destructive force that once threatened me is now gone.
In its wake, sunlight
The aftermath of the storm is filled with a newfound clarity and brightness.
The land in uproot
Despite the calm after the storm, everything has been changed and uprooted.
Taken down south
I was brought to a different location, one that was vastly different from what I knew before.
To a hurricane town
This new location is frequently affected by hurricanes, representing the challenges and chaos I faced there.
Fallen down bombs
I experienced traumatic and explosive events that shook my world.
Wishing for snowbound home
Despite the challenges I faced in my past home, I long for its familiarity and comfort.
Robbed by time
As time passes, I feel that I am losing parts of myself and my life experiences.
The shadows of birds
Memories and ghosts of my past continue to haunt me, even when they are not physically present.
Fortunes won and lost
I have experienced both success and failure in my life.
And still, I'm wandering
Despite everything that has happened, I continue to search and explore, knowing that my journey is not yet over.
Wandering
I am constantly seeking out new experiences, knowledge, and connections in my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUNCAN SHEIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind